To the Skies
by eet-eet-eet
Summary: Being a teenager is confusing. You don't know what you desire, and your heart and mind are overwhelmed with unforeseen sensations and emotions. Lottie doesn't know what she wants in life just yet, but she does know that she wants to escape her humdrum life in Celestic Town. Unfortunately, escaping is easier said than done as she's unceremoniously baptized as a trainer.
1. Chapter 1

Two figures emerged from the mist as they meandered through the thick underbrush of Route 210. A thick scarf was tightly wrapped around the girl's neck and she stuffed her frostbitten fingers into her blue peacoat. Her Swablu, Claudia, sat snugly on her thick black hair keeping it warm with its soft, cottony down.

As the wind whipped and snapped, Claudia sang a gentle melody that provided her some semblance of comfort. She wanted to sit down in the long grass and open her canister of hot curry her mother made her; but she already made the turn and soon, she knew she would arrive at the Cafe Cabin. The thought of warm, cinnamon flavored milk fueled her determination and thus, she pressed on in this unforgiving weather.

Perhaps she wasn't made to become a trainer. Perhaps she should've listened to her parents who urged her to stay in quaint Celestic Town. Perhaps she should've attended Eterna City University instead of wasting her time with a near-impossible goal. Rigidly, she lifted her arm to check her watch. Only two hours have passed since she became a trainer. Only two hours have passed since she threw away a life of research and stable financial success for a life of chaotic adventures.

Was it worth it?

The girl peeled her eyes from the ground and kept them level. There was nothing but grass - undoubtedly filled with wild Pokemon and eager weather-worn trainers. Celestic Town was nice, yes, with its charming houses, hospitable citizens, and famous historical landmarks but otherwise, it was hardly a showstopper except to the mythological enthusiast. She couldn't see herself in that place any longer. She was tired of pacing around the perimeter looking for something to do. The only excitement that it provided for her was the occasional, wayward trainer. He or she would use Celestic Town as a rest stop before entering Mt. Coronet and occasionally, tell her about their journey.

She was a small town girl. The farthest west she has ever been was Eterna, and the farthest south was Hearthome. She has never seen the beach. She has never seen fields of flowers. The only thing she has seen is the looming Mt. Coronet and the snow it brings.

Then perhaps it was worth it. She would see every part of Sinnoh and if fate allowed it, the rest of the world. But for now, she would have to endure this blustery weather.

Something rustled in the distance but it fell on deaf ears. However, Claudia's singing ceased, causing her to emerge from her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" She picked up the Swablu and held her outstretched. Claudia had adopted a more aggressive manner now. It's eyebrows furrowed in concentration and its beak released hostile squawks.

The girl looked turned around and perceived a distinct movement of the brush through her thick-rimmed glasses. She set Claudia in front of her and readied her muscles for flight. It was probably a Pokemon, she thought. Or one of those forsaken Ninja boys that liked to hide around. Unlikely though, considering their mothers wouldn't let them terrify incoming and outcoming trainers in this weather.

Her brown eyes darted back and forth. The rustling stopped and then a sudden movement to the right.

She scrambled to action, nearly tripping over her own feet to utter a simple command. "Claudia! Over there!"

However, instead of flapping to where she was pointing, Claudia went to the left and jabbed her beak at a fleeting green figure. The girl was mistaken; in her confusion she simply mixed up where her directions were. At the thought of her silliness, a furious red blush graced her cheeks but her eyes remained focus on the action.

It was a Scyther, which was now knocked onto the ground from the force of Claudia's peck. The little Swablu managed to constantly stagger it with her rapidfire pecks as she defended her trainer from harm.

"Ah! Sing to it, would you please?" The girl spluttered. She covered her eyes at the sight. She wanted to reach the cafe as soon as possible and hopefully, avoid any and all Pokemon battles.

As commanded, the Swablu ceased its attacks, resumed her position on the girl's head, and a sweet, soporific melody flowed from its mouth. The Scyther, already down on the ground, began to nod off and soon, its transparent wings folded up around its body and closed its eyes.

Her heart pounded against her ears as her adrenaline levels slowly winded down, even though she hardly did anything. She rummaged through her bag and brought out a Pecha Berry for Claudia, which she happily ate.

"There you go," she said, a slight weariness to her voice. She knew that would not be the last battle, and there will be others that would be even more dangerous - life threateningly so. A part of her wanted to run back to Celestic and hug her parents, telling them how right they were and - no! A fire rose in her heart at the thought of prostrating herself before them. She had plenty of time to improve… plenty of time to get stronger.

The girl quickened her pace. Claudia detached herself from her head and flew alongside her, still singing that joyful tune. In the distance, she saw the mist dissipating into clarity, and the back of the wooden cafe. She exited the misty terrain and swung herself into the building, putting Claudia back into her Pokeball beforehand.

She loosened her scarf as her skin met the comforting warmth of the cafe. Its patrons milled about, drinking their early morning coffee and milk with donuts and croissants. The air was thick with caffeine and chocolate and sugar. The girl briskly walked over to the counter, ordering hot chocolate and a bagel with cream cheese before scanning the area for an available, lone table. There was none and she sighed heavily. Well, what else did she expect during morning rush hour? She decided to limit her choices with the regular folk, those who weren't rushing to Veilstone on business and carried themselves with a superior air.

Her feet wandered over the wooden floors. At last, she decided to take a seat across from a girl not much older than herself. A black scarf was wrapped around her head, and her brown skin seemed to radiate warmth. Beside her was a Pokemon she vaguely knew of, its orange flames in dangerous range of the other girl's head. Why was it allowed to come in? Its very presence was a fire hazard!

"Ah, excuse me?" she said. "Don't you suppose that you should put away, that, ah Pokemon?"

The veiled girl lifted her head. A dark red color stained her lips and bangles of jewelry dripped from her neck. "Oh, do you mean Charles? He's a Lampent, you see, so he radiates light. And I get terribly cold easily so the manager allowed me to keep him, so long as he stays near me."

"A Lampent?" her voice squeaked with excitement. "Are you from another continent?"

The girl lazily nodded. "Yes, indeed. Unova, to be precise. My family moved here for business purposes, and I thought I would pay a visit to one of your most striking tourist attractions." Her mouth split into a grin. "My name's Farah, and you're the first person to speak to me."

"It's nice to meet you, Fay-rah? Am I saying that right…?"

Farah laughed. "Close, but I don't mind. What's yours?"

"Charlotte. But please, call me Lottie."


	2. Chapter 2

The two girls smiled at each other. Charlotte leaned closer to her, now feeling more comfortable. She discarded her scarf and put it in her bag, exchanging it for Claudia's Pokeball. "It's a pleasure to meet you Farah - and am I really the first person to talk to you? How long have you've been in Sinnoh?"

Farah shrugged. "Well, I'm not too keen on initiating conversation, but I do quite enjoy one. I arrived in Veilstone Airport a few days ago and my family decided to make an excursion to… Solaceon was it? The small town was too suffocating for me and I needed some fresh air."

"I totally understand how you're feeling," smiled Charlotte. She rubbed the Pokeball lovingly. "I'm really quite excited to see Sinnoh! Oh - would you like to come with me?"

Charlotte's voice jumped to a crescendo upon thinking that someone would be able to accompany her. Wandering was half the fun; the other half was dedicated to relationships. Sure she had Claudia, but Charlotte needed _human_ interaction - a dynamic one at that. She wanted to have long conversations about some random topic, underneath the setting sun perhaps, a recreation of one of those scenes from a movie.

"Come with?" Farah blinked in surprise and she gripped the edges of the table. Beside her, the Lampent's fire seemed to grow just a bit hotter as it responded to its trainer's apprehension.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just that… I have other dreams besides being a trainer. Really, I would love to go with you but I rather attend university…"

Charlotte's joy immediately extinguished as a weariness washed over her body. She stood up, having lost all appetite, and put on her scarf again. "I see. Well, it was nice meeting you Farah. I'll see you later, and good luck in university."

The girl pushed in her chair, but Farah stood up in response. Her face had a hard expression to it, although it was softened by her sympathetic eyes. "Wait, Lottie!" She grabbed a pen from her own bag and wrote something down on a napkin, handing it to Charlotte. "I'm really sorry that I can't accompany you, but if you ever need some advice or someone to talk to, I'm here, yeah? And why don't you sit down and we can share a nice breakfast together?"

"...That sounds nice." Charlotte returned to her seat, a little bit of her sadness has disappeared. She watched Farah waved a waiter over. Farah ordered coffee and a croissant, while Charlotte ordered hot chocolate and a cream-cheese bagel.

"So, where are you headed off to next after the Cafe?" asked Farah.

"Ah, probably to train my Swablu for the Veilstone Gym. I'm hoping to beat the Leader within the next two weeks."

"Becoming champion, are you?"

Charlotte laughed. "That's the goal. I probably won't beat Miss Cynthia, but it will be fun while it lasts. If I don't, well, I'll go back to university for a medical degree."

Farah's eyes lighted up. "What a coincidence! I'm going to get one too, assuming that nothing bad happens. Say, do you really think that the toxins in a Roserade have the capability to kill cancer cells?"

"I've heard all about that, but I do believe it's a work in progress. The research, however, seems to be doing remarkably well in lab rats."

"Indeed!"

The waiter dropped by and delicately placed their orders on the table. They thanked him and continued their conversations between sips of their drinks and bites of their food. Although Charlotte wasn't too fond of _becoming_ a doctor, she was fond of the science behind it. It was nice to engage in a topic in something that she was interested in.

However, all good things must come to an end and Farah expressed that she had to return to her parents. Charlotte responded with a simple nod and a crestfallen smile. The two girls embraced each other and Charlotte watched Farah exit out of the building, her Lampent following her.

Charlotte sullenly looked at the money on the table; they had split the bill and the tip. It was only after Farah left when she realized how utterly alone she was. At least she had her number and Charlotte was determined to update her on the various events of her journey towards the Pokemon League.

Soon, Charlotte left the Cafe too and entered the brisk weather outside; now it was raining. She released Claudia from her Pokeball and as per routine, nested comfortably in Charlotte's hair, shielding it from the water droplets. With that, they headed towards Veilstone.

"Let's go, Claudia. Perhaps we'll meet a new friend on Route 215."


End file.
